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December 16, 2024 | 12:02 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Australian Navy has test-fired a Tomahawk cruise missile from the warship HMAS Brisbane off the west coast of the United States.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the test demonstrated the strength of the alliance and defence cooperation with the United States to support regional defence.
"By enhancing our own defence capabilities, and working with our partners, we are changing the calculus for any potential aggressor so that no nation will ever conclude that the benefits of conflict outweigh the risks," he said in a written statement, December 10, 2024, quoted from the minister.defence.gov.au website.
The government announced that Australia is one of three countries, along with the United States and the United Kingdom, to have the missile and has already tested it.
The Australian Government is investing US$1.3 billion to acquire this vital capability for its Navy. Australia will have more than 200 Tomahawk missiles, which will be deployed on Hobart-class destroyers and future Navy platforms, including Virginia-class submarines and a feasibility study is underway for Hunter-class frigates.
“Enhancing the lethality of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet is critical to ensuring the ADF is equipped to meet our strategic circumstances and keep Australians safe,” Marles said.
This missile will add long-range strike capability to the Australian military. The Tomahawk’s range of more than 2,500 kilometers allows it to strike targets on land with precision.
Quoting from the official Naval Air Systems website, the US-made weapon is a long-range cruise missile for land attacks. Its launch from warships or submarines is commonly used by the US and British navies.
The Tomahawk has several variants. The latest variant, the Block V Tomahawk missile, is equipped with navigation or communication enhancements that maintain the ability to update targets while in flight.
The Tomahawk gives commanders the flexibility to strike long-range fixed targets or support Special Operations Forces with a deadly and responsive precision weapon system.
The Tomahawk cruise missile is designed to fly at very low altitudes at high subsonic speeds. The missile's first operational deployment was during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Since January 1991, more than 2,300 Tomahawks have been fired in combat operations, including during Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya and during Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria.
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